- austrianspencer
Human Monsters - A horror anthology
I think the whole Horror Community pricked up their ears and submitted stories to try and get into this anthology, produced in co-operation with the fantastic team of Sadie and Ashley as editors, from Nightworms. Deservedly so, this Anthology has collected together some stunning indie hard hitters, and the quality bleeds from the pages.
There were a couple of stories that missed their mark with me, but the quantity of the good stories far outweighs any distraction. As always, a couple of the stories outshone the others in both originality and nastiness, or through voice and presentation. Here are some of my favorites:
Prototype by Leah Ning – a fantastic premise and just nasty, something to squirm over as you go to bed. Great mind set from the MC
Ambush Predator by C.S.Humble – Great writing, a distinct voice and a horrible situation. I picked up his debut novel, based on my impression of his writing in this short.
The Bystander by L.P.Hernandez – I loved this. This also contributed to me watching The Black Phone from Joe Hill, one I’d been wary of. Hernandez’s timing is perfect, his execution brilliant, the ending all you could want. A perfect study of an emotionless killer, craving emotion. Bought Stargazers seconds after finishing.
A sunny disposition by Josh Malerman – Well, what cn you expect? It’s Josh. Great idea, nice presentation, and everyone knows someone like the grandad. The logic here is airtight.
Eggshell by Gemma Amor – though there wasn’t that much about the killer, the procedure here, the detail, the information and research here are gold dust – thrilling and captivating, I could read a whole book of this. Gemma, we need more of this character!
I could go on, but you get the idea. This is packed full of great shorts, and edited by people that fundamentally understand the genre.
5 out of 5 stars, and a wonderful introduction to some authors I can’t wait to discover next year.
You can pick up a copy of Human Monsters, by clicking on the appropriate link below:
